A Muskegon Heights medical clinic plans to build a community center after a foundation established by the man who opened the facility 34 years ago donated $100,000 to fuel its continued growth.

The Koinonia Foundation recently made the donation to Muskegon Family Care, a federally-designated clinic for the impoverished and uninsured at 2221 Getty. The foundation was established by Dr. Dale Williams, who opened the Koinonia Medical Clinic at 2345 S. Getty in Muskegon Heights in 1973.

Williams sold the clinic to Mercy Hospital in 1993 and it became part of Muskegon Family Care in 1998. The clinic offers medical, dental and psychological services and has its own pharmacy.

Officials at Muskegon Family Care said they plan to use the donation to buy land next to the clinic and build a community center.

"We envision building a community center that would provide training and education for the staff and community, and would allow us to expand our patient education classes to help individuals learn how to better manage their chronic diseases," said Donna Littlejohn, executive director of Muskegon Family Care.

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